Learning And Information Technology - Computing Essentials (PDF)

GT101: LEARNING AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TU107: COMPUTING ESSENTIALS MEETING 1 CHAPTER 1: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, THE INTERNET, AND YOU CHAPTER 2: THE INTERNET, THE WEB, AND E-COMMERCE Prepared by: ITC team – AOU, Kuwait branch Based on the content of GT101 smart book @McGraw-Hill Education CHA...

GT101: LEARNING AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TU107: COMPUTING ESSENTIALS MEETING 1 CHAPTER 1: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, THE INTERNET, AND YOU CHAPTER 2: THE INTERNET, THE WEB, AND E-COMMERCE Prepared by: ITC team – AOU, Kuwait branch Based on the content of GT101 smart book @McGraw-Hill Education CHAPTER 1: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, THE INTERNET, AND YOU Learning Outcomes: Explainthe parts of an information system: people, procedures, software, hardware, data, and the Internet. Distinguish between system software and application software. Identify the four types of computers and the five types of personal computers. Define data and describe document, worksheet, database, and presentation files. Explain computer connectivity. 2 INFORMATION SYSTEMS Parts of the information system: People Procedures Software Hardware Data Internet 3 Parts of the information system PEOPLE People are the most important part of an information system. Our lives are touched everyday by computers direct and indirect. – Direct: such as creating documents using a word processing program or when connecting to the internet. – Indirect: such as using computers in medicine, entertainment, education and business. 4 PROCEDURES Procedures are the rules or guidelines for people to follow when using software, hardware and data. They are typically documented in printed or electronic manuals written by computer specialists. 5 SOFTWARE Programs (Software)* are the instructions that tell the computer how to do its work. The purpose of software is to convert data (unprocessed facts) into information (processed facts) Two major kinds of software: ₋ Application Software (think of it as the kind of programs you use; e.g. Word processors) ₋ System Software (think of it as the kind of programs the computer uses; e.g. Operating Systems) 6 *Actually, there is a difference between the two terms but it is beyond the scope of this course. HARDWARE Computers are electronic devices that can follow instructions to accept input, process it and produce information. There are four types of computers : – Supercomputers – Mainframe computers Sorted from the most powerful to the least powerful according to the storage – Midrange computers and the processing capability. – Personal computers 7 HARDWARE Supercomputers: special, high-capacity computers used by very large corporations. They are used to process massive amount of data; e.g. used to analyze and predict worldwide weather patterns. Mainframe computers: occupy specially wired, air-conditioned rooms; e.g. used by insurance companies to process information about millions of policyholders. Midrange computers (Servers): used by medium-size companies or departments of large companies; e.g. used for retrieving data from a database. Personal computers (PCs): The most widely used and fastest-growing type of computers. 8 HARDWARE Types of PCs include: Desktops Laptops (Notebooks) Tablets Smartphones Wearables 9 Types of personal computers HARDWARE Hardware is the equipment that processes the data to create information. It is controlled by software. Hardware for a PC system falls into four basic categories: – System unit – Input/output – Secondary storage – Communication 10 DATA Data is raw, unprocessed facts including text, numbers, images and sounds. Processed data becomes information. Digital data is stored electronically in files. Four common types of files are: – Document files – Worksheet files – Database files 11 – Presentation files DATA Document files: created by word processors to save documents such as letters and memos. Worksheet files: created by spreadsheets to analyze things like budgets and to predict sales. Database files: created by database management programs to contain highly structures and organized data such as the information stored about students of a university. Presentation files: created by presentation graphics programs to save presentation materials. 12 CONNECTIVITY Almost all information systems provide a way to connect to other people and computers, typically using the Internet. Connectivity is the capability of your personal computer to share information with other computers. Central to the concept of connectivity is the network. A network is a communications system connecting two or more computers. The largest network in the world is the Internet. The web provides a multimedia interface to the numerous resources available on the Internet. 13 CHAPTER 2: THE INTERNET, THE WEB, AND E-COMMERCE Learning Outcomes: Explain the origins of the Internet and the web. Explain how to access the web using providers and browsers. Compare different web utilities, including plug-ins, filters, file transfer utilities, and Internet security suites. Compare different Internet communications, including e-mail, text messaging, instant messaging, social networking, blogs, microblogs, webcasts, podcasts, and wikis. Describe search tools, including search engines and evaluating the accuracy of information presented on the web. Describe cloud computing and the Internet of Things (IoT). 14 THE INTERNET AND THE WEB TheInternet is a large network that connects smaller networks all over the globe. It was launched in 1969 when the US developed a national computer network called ARPANET. Atthe beginning, the Internet was all text (no graphics, animation, sound or video). The World Wide Web or WWW (introduced in 1991) made it possible to include these elements. The web is not the Internet. – The Internet is the physical network (made up of wires, cables, etc.). – Being "online" refers to being connected to this network. 15 – The Web is the multimedia interface to the resources available on the Internet THE INTERNET AND THE WEB The most common uses of the Internet and the Web: Communicating – Exchange e-mail, photos and videos. – Discussion groups (forums). Searching (for information) – Access some of the world’s largest libraries directly from home computer (virtual libraries). Education or e-learning – You can take classes on almost any subject. Entertainment – Find music, movies, magazines and computer games. 16 Shopping INTERNET ACCESS: PROVIDERS Common way to access the Internet is through an Internet Service Provider (ISP). The providers are already connected to the Internet and provide a path or connection for individuals to access the Internet. The most widely used commercial Internet service providers use telephone lines, cable, and wireless connections. 17 INTERNET ACCESS: BROWSERS Browsers are programs that provide access to web resources. A browser connects you to remote computers, opens and transfers files, displays text, images, and multimedia. Four well-known browsers: – Apple Safari – Google Chrome – Microsoft Edge – Mozilla Firefox 18 INTERNET ACCESS: BROWSERS For browsers to connect to resources, the location or the address of the resource must be specified. This address is called Uniform Resource Locator (URL). All URLs have at least two parts 1. Protocol: rules for exchanging data between computers (e.g. http, used for web traffic) 2. Domain name: indicates the specific address where the resource is located. – Each domain name ends with a Top-level domain (TLD) which tells what kind of organization hosts an email account, such as.com and.edu. 19 INTERNET ACCESS: BROWSERS TLD Type of organization.EDU Educational.COM Commercial.ORG Charitable/Non-profit.MIL Military.GOV Government Examples of TLDs 20 Example of a URL WEB UTILITIES Utilities are programs that make computing easier. Web Utilities are specialized utility programs that make using the Internet and the web easier and safer. Some utilities are browser-related programs. Others are designed to protect children from dangerous and inappropriate websites materials. Examples: – Plug-Ins – Filters – File Transfer Utilities 21 – Internet Security Suites WEB UTILITIES: PLUG-INS Plug-ins are programs that are automatically started and operate as a part of your browser. Some of these plug-ins are included in many today’s browsers and operating systems. Others must be installed. Some widely used plug-ins are shown in the table. 22 Examples of plug-ins WEB UTILITIES: FILTERS Filters are programs that allow parents and organizations to block access to selected sites. These programs can monitor use and generate reports about total time spent on the Internet and the time spent at individual websites. Examples of filters Listof the best-known filters is shown in the table. 23 WEB UTILITIES: FILE TRANSFER UTILITIES File Transfer Utilities help you upload and download files to and from the Internet. Three popular types of file transfer are: – File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) – Web-based file transfer services (E.g. Dropbox.com) – BitTorrent 24 WEB UTILITIES: INTERNET SECURITY SUITES An Internet Security Suite is a collection of utility programs designed to maintain your security and privacy while you are on the Web. These programs control spams, protect against computer viruses, provide filters and much more. You could buy each program separately; however, the cost of the suit is typically much less. Three of the known Internet security suites are: – Kaspersky – McAfee 25 – Norton COMMUNICATION Communication is the most popular Internet activity. Some Popular types of Internet communication are: – Electronic mail (e-mail) – Messaging – Social networking – Blogs, microblogs, webcasts, podcasts and wikis 26 COMMUNICATION: E-MAIL E-mail or electronic mail is the transmission of electronic messages over the Internet. E-mail can be a valuable asset in your life. However, like many other valuable technologies, there are drawbacks too. – Spam is junk, unwanted or unsolicited e-mail. – Computer viruses or destructive programs are often attached to spams. – To control spams: Spam blockers (Spam filters) Antispam laws (E.g. In USA, CAN-SPAM requires that every marketing- related e-mail provide an opt-out option) 27 COMMUNICATION: MESSAGING There are two main types of messaging: Text messaging (known as texting or SMS) – It is the process of sending a short electronic message (typically less than 160 characters). – It was originally limited to characters but now you can send images, video, and sound using a variation of SMS known as MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service). Instant Messaging (IM) – It allows two or more people to contact each other via direct, live communication. – Most IM programs also include video conferencing features, file sharing, and remote assistance. – Most widely used instant messaging services: 28 Facebook Messenger and Google Hangouts COMMUNICATION: SOCIAL NETWORKING Social networking sites focus on connecting people and organizations that share a common interest or activity. These sites provide many tools that facilitate meeting, communicating, and sharing. Some of the best known sites are: – Facebook – Instagram – LinkedIn (Currently, it is the premier business-oriented social networking site) 29 COMMUNICATION: BLOGS AND MICROBLOGS Blogs or web logs – They are personal web sites where articles are regularly posted. – Postings are time-stamped with the newest items first. – Readers of these sites are allowed to comment. – Some blogs are like online diaries with personal information; others focus on information, hobby or theme (good books, electronic devices,…). – Several sites provide tools to create blogs like Blogger and WordPress. Microblogs – Publish short sentences that only take a few seconds to write, rather than long stories like traditional blogs. – Designed to keep friends and other contacts up-to-date on your interest and activities. 30 – The most popular microblogging site is Twitter. COMMUNICATION: WEBCASTS AND PODCASTS Both webcasts and podcasts deliver media content (such as music and movies) over the Internet to your computer. Webcasts use streaming technology in which audio and video files are continuously downloaded to your computer while you are listening to or viewing the file content. After a webcast has been completed, there are no files remaining on your computer. (e.g. YouTube.com) Podcasts do not use streaming technology. Before a podcast can be run, the media files have to be downloaded and saved to your computer. 31 COMMUNICATION: WIKIS A wiki is a website specially designed to allow visitors to use their browser to add, edit, or delete the site’s content. Wikis support collaborative writing. The most common example is Wikipedia. Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia written and edited by anyone who wants to contribute. Creating blogs and wikis are examples of web authoring. 32 SEARCH TOOLS The Web provides a huge source of information that requires tools to help locate information. Search services are organizations operate websites that can help you locate the information you need. – They provide special programs called spiders that continually look for new information and update the search services' databases. – They also provide special programs called search engines to locate specific information on the web. – Search engines are specialized programs that assist you in locating information on the web. – Examples on search engines are: Google, Bing and Yahoo. 33 SEARCH TOOLS Not all the information you find on the web is accurate. To evaluate the accuracy of web information, consider the following: – Authority: Is the author an expert in the subject area? Is the site an official site for the information presented, or is the site an individual's personal website? – Accuracy: Has the information been critically reviewed for correctness prior to posting on the web? – Objectivity: Is the information factually reported or does the author have a bias? – Currency: Is the information up to date? Does the site specify the date when the site was updated? 34 CLOUD COMPUTING Cloud computing uses the Internet and the Web to shift many computer activities from the user’s computers and other computers on the Internet. It frees end-users from owning, maintaining, and storing software programs and data. It provides access to these services from anywhere through an Internet connection. 35  CLOUD COMPUTING The basic components to cloud computing: Clients (end-users). The Internet. Service providers: Cloud computing components – Such as Google Drive Apps, which provides free access to programs with capabilities similar to Microsoft’s Word, Excel and PowerPoint. 36 Example of a service provider THE INTERNET OF THINGS The Internet is becoming more and more a part of our lives. The Internet of things (IoT) is the continuing development of the Internet that allows everyday objects embedded with electronic devices to send and receive data over the Internet. These everyday objects include smartphones and wearable devices. For example, Fitbit is a bracelet that measures health data Fitbit (such as the number of steps walked, heart rate, quality of sleep, steps climbed,... ) and sends that data to your smartphone or personal webpage. 37